Chain mail chausses, flat rings - round rivets, 8 mm

Product description

Chainmail chausses were the standard form of metal leg protection in Europe from the 9th century until the early 14th century. They offered flexible protection against most weapons, yet were gradually replaced by iron plate armour from the second half of the 13th century. The earliest examples date from the 9th century, amongst them a chainmail-covered foot in the Kyulevcha catacombs in Bulgaria. Byzantine art depicts calf-length chainmail chausses in Tokali Kilise (10th century) and Karanlik Kilise (11th century). Full chainmail chausses were presumably already in use at the beginning of the 9th century and spread via the Danube or Italy, as can also be seen in the Stuttgart Psalter. One of the most famous depictions in Western Europe appears on the Bayeux Tapestry (1066–1083), where William the Conqueror and other knights are shown wearing them. Around 1200, chainmail chausses were almost standard equipment for knights and men-at-arms.

This pair of chain mail chausses is crafted from 1.8 mm wide flat rings with an inner diameter of 8 mm. The rings are woven four in one and subsequently riveted with round rivets. The chausses cover the whole leg. Their length is 118 cm, their upper width is 60 cm and their lower width is 46 cm. The pair weighs approximately 4.9 kg.